Mercy
by Gaddgedli
Summary: A year on Seefra has alienated Beka from the people she loves. In an attempt to reach out to some one, she compromises the crew and the ship.
1. Chapter 1

Title

Author: Caithness

Category: Angst

Summary: A year on Seefra has alienated Beka from the people she loves. In an attempt to reach out to some one, she compromises the crew and the ship.

Disclaimer: They're not mine and I'm no screenwriter, but I'm willing to sleep my way to the top. You'll find my number scratched above a urinal somewhere. Gimme a call.

Beka's father had never wanted children. For that matter, neither had her mother, from what she understood. She thought Daddy had loved her, but Uncle Sid had managed to plant a small seed of doubt in her mind that she constantly had to ignore. She had no idea what was going on in Rafe's head. As for her crew-

"Hey, boss," Harper chirped as she entered the conference room. "Manage not to sleep with anyone on the way down here?"

Beka's mouth opened slightly as she tried to catch her breath and her eyes grew wide for a split second, but she recovered and took her place at the table. "Harper, this is your only warning," Dylan said with all the fake sternness that he could muster.

"Don't put yourself out," Beka muttered. She gave Harper a long stare that dared him to make another comment. He didn't.

"Harper, how's it coming?" Dylan asked.

"Well, after exactly thirteen Sparky Colas, I finally got access to Andromeda's systems."

"So did I," Rommie added with bitterness. Beka looked at the table and tried to hide behind her hair.

"Gimme a day and she'll be like new."

"Sounds good," Dylan replied.

"No, it doesn't," Trance said.

Beka looked up at the latest incarnation of Trance. So did everyone else in the room. No one ever knew what the golden girl was going to say. "You need to sleep first," she continued. "Just a couple hour, please."

"I can't," Harper argued. "We're sitting ducks until Andromeda gets fixed and who knows when lover boy will come back for round two." Beka couldn't ignore the double entendre and what it implied.

"Harper, you're working yourself to death."

"Well, whose fault is that?" Harper spat as he left the room. Dylan didn't even bother stopping him.

"I'm sorry," Beka murmured. She'd said it so many times, she didn't think she could say it again. It was a matter of principle. You say it once, people get the idea and they either forgive you or they don't. If they don't, who needs 'em? This time, though, she was so sorry that it had overpowered her pride and she'd said it yet again.

"We know you're sorry," Rommie answered. "You said it once on the observation deck, three times on command, twice in-"

"I get it. You're still mad at me. Enough already."

"I am not mad. I am a completely objective observer."

"You're a warship. Wrath is pretty much your thing, but I've had enough."

"Do you think you deserve anything else?" Rhade asked, speaking for the first time since Beka had entered the room.

"I see. Everyone has something to say," Beka shouted. "Alright, Rhade, why don't you say it?"

"Fine!" Rhade stood up. "You brought back some stranger from a supply run and all it took was a little sweet talk for him to get your pants down around your ankles!"

"Rhade, not another word," Dylan commanded, turning toward the Nietzschean.

Rhade ignored him. "Next thing I know, he's bypassed all of Andromeda's codes and his friends have hijacked the ship! You're telling me that's a coincidence?"

"It was already determined that Beka had no culpability. The hijackers used her to gain entrance codes only."

"So she just gave them the codes?" Rhade asked.

"No, he slipped her sodium pentathol. Truth serum. She gave him the codes in her sleep. Her only real mistake was believing that he loved her and then bringing him onto the ship."

"Right, because it's so outlandish that some one might find me attractive."

"Well, look at the last few times it happened," Rhade said as he took his seat again. "There were the Nietzscheans who disabled your ship, the man who stole your DNA, not to mention the one who betrayed the entire commonwealth."

"All that proves is that Nietzscheans are scum."

"This is no longer productive," Rommie said.

"I agree. Dismissed." Dylan stood up and left, followed by Rommie. Trance lingered a moment, then stood and left to check on Harper, patting Beka on the shoulder as she went. Rhade, however, stayed behind. He wasn't about to let Beka's last comment stand, but when he looked at, he couldn't yell at her anymore. Her shoulders were slumped slight- just barely, but enough for him to notice. Her hair had fallen in her face a bit and she'd left it there. Her face was pale. It was her eyes, though, that stopped him. She was looking down at the table, so he could only see part of them, but they were pinkish like she hadn't slept in days. When she looked up at him, they were so devoid of the usual fire and pride he saw there. He remembered how he'd pulled the wings from a butterfly when he was young and didn't know any better. It had hopped around frantically afterwards and he'd tried to put the wings back on, but no matter what, he couldn't make it fly anymore, so he'd killed it. Had he done the same thing to Beka?

"What are you looking at?" she whispered, bracing herself for another attack.

"Nothing." He turned and left Beka by herself.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

A scanner hovered over Beka as she sat on a bed in front of Trance. "You don't have tell me that none of this necessary because I already know you're thinking it, but Andromeda told me that you didn't eat at all yesterday and your eyes are red. You haven't been sleeping, have you?" Trance asked.

"It's just a bug. It'll go away." Beka's feet didn't touch the ground and she watched them as they dangled back and forth.

"Loss of appetites and insomnia are both symptoms of depression."

"If you're trying to say something, just say it, Trance."

"Alright, I think you're depressed," Trance replied.

"Why would I be depressed?" Beka asked. "We're restoring the Commonwealth and this time it's actually working. Andromeda has a full crew with real officers. Not to mention a parliament with houses on Tarn Vedra and Terazed. We've got everything we ever wanted."

"Is that what you wanted?"

"Hey, the safer it is out there, the easier it is for me to do my job."

"You mean hauling cargo."

"Gee, Trance, you make it sound so glamorous," Beka said.

"Do you plan on doing it forever?" Trance asked.

"I remember a time when you were fine with hauling cargo. Besides, one of these days I'll hit the jackpot."

Trance smiled. "I know you will." She set the scanner down on the table. "I can't find anything physically wrong with you."

"Great." Beka hopped off the bed.

"You know, I love the Maru almost as much as you do. There are good memories there."

Beka's lips turned up in a tiny small. "There are definitely more good ones than bad ones."

The doors to the deck slid open and Rhade appeared.

"Not like here," Beka whispered.

"I just came to tell everyone goodbye," he said, looking awkwardly from Beka to Trance, who rushed up to him and threw her arms around his neck. He chuckled. "I'll never get used to that."

"Well, you'll have to," Trance giggled. "You're only here when we're orbiting Terazed and everybody misses you. At least this time you got to stay a little longer."

Beka crossed her arms and stared at the immaculately polished floor. She could almost see her face in it. The glare hurt her eyes, but it was better than thinking about why Rhade had had to stay longer this time.

"Well, I have a family to take care of, now."

"And you love saying that, don't you?"

"It never gets old. I'll see you next time, Trance."

"Bye, Rhade."

As Trance bounced out of the room, Beka wanted to scream at her to stay. Don't leave me alone with him, she thought. Instead, her eyes remained fixed on her reflection. "Bye," she muttered without emotion.

It was quiet for a minute and she assumed he had left, so she jumped when she looked up and found him inches from her.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," said Rhade.

"It's fine."

Rhade moved a little closer. "About last night… I may have gone a little too far."

"Is that an apology?"

"Would you accept one?'

Beka finally looked at him. "If you meant it."

Rhade was about to respond when Doyle entered the room. "Dylan informs me that you're leaving… again. I've come to escort you to the brig."

Rhade turned and smiled at her. "Isn't that a little harsh?"

"It's the only way to keep you here, isn't it? Unless, of course, some one else pretends to love Beka and hijacks me." She smiled and winked at him. "Harper taught me winking this morning. What do you think?"

"Uh… well done," Rhade replied, unsure of what to say as Doyle blew him a kiss and left.

"Is that what he did?" Beka asked.

"What?"

Tears threatened to fall from her eyes. "Pretend… I loved him. I really did."

"You knew Alex for two weeks. No one falls in love in two weeks."

"Men don't, I guess," said Beka.

"He was using you. Love had nothing to do with it. Just learn from it."

"How very Nietzschean of you, Mr. Rhade, but I think I've learned everything I need to know about love."

"What does that mean?" Rhade asked.

"It doesn't exist."

"That's not true. I have a wife and three kids who love me."

"I don't," Beka replied.

"You have-" Rhade began, then stopped. Who did she have? Beka waited for him to continue, begging for an answer.

"Rhade?"

"My wife's waiting for me."

"Rhade, please," she pleaded.

He left the room, with her behind him. "Beka, this discussion is over."

"I'm not following you, damn it. I'm just going to the Maru." She turned a few corridors and was on her ship, going faster than she had since she was on flash. When she went fast enough, she almost felt like she was on it again. She took the quickest route to a little dive on other side of Terazed- the only part that wasn't a clone of Tarn Vedra- the sidled up to the bar to drown herself in shots.

"Didn't think I'd ever see you again," a smooth voice said from behind her. Her eyes sought its owner.

"Alex?"

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Beka's eyes weren't lying; it was definitely him. She had to look up to see him because he was so tall, but she'd liked that, as well as his dark eyes and the little bit of stubble that scratched her face when she kissed him. He certainly was a beautiful man.

"Let's go somewhere more private to talk," Alex said smoothly, discreetly grabbing her gun from its place at her hip and pinning the muzzle to her back.

"Anything for you, dear," Beka replied sarcastically. He led her outside to the back of the bar and threw her against the side of the building so he could blindfold her and tie her arms behind her back. "Didn't know you were into this sort of thing."

"Are you trying to get shot?" Alex asked, his strong grip on her again as he pushed her along.

"If that were the plan, you would've done it already," she answered as they walked unnoticed into the woods behind the bar. When they'd been gone about five minutes, she heard Alex call some one on a com, then they continued with Beka trying to goad him into telling her anything about what was happening.

"You tried to steal my ship."

"And I got laid in the process. Bully for me."

"You know," Beka quipped. "That's why I fell for you- 'cause you're such a gentleman."

He chuckled, trailing a finger down her arm. "It was nice while it lasted."

"Stop it."

He laughed again and leaned into her. "What are you gonna do about it?" She lifted a foot off the ground and tried to kick him in the shin, but he dodged it. "Don't worry. I'll preserve your virtue. Well, you don't really have much of that left, but the little you have you can keep."

--------

They'd walked for about at hour when the ground began to slope and the air grew chilly.

"Hey, boys, you'll never believe this!" Alex shouted. Beka heard footsteps, then catcalls and laughter from what she thought must be fifty men. The blindfold was unceremoniously ripped off and she realized it was more like fifteen. They were standing underground in some kind of cave. "It's my girl. Think she'll fetch a good price?"

"Oh, yeah," replied a muscular man with a shaved head and stained clothing. "Girl like that, we could probably get a warship for her."

"A warship, you say?"

"You guys tried that, remember?" Beka asked. "You failed miserably."

The bald man reached out and backhanded her so hard she fell to the floor. "Not miserably. We've got a plan B, now." He helped her to her feet just to throw her to the ground again. "I figure we let these guys have a go at you for a couple hours, take a few pictures, and your captain will come running to save you, maybe make a trade. Or you could just give us all the codes this time."

Oh, Divine, thought Beka. Have a go, have a go, what does that mean? Calm down, she thought. Try to talk them out of it. "There's a flaw in your plan," she began with a shaky voice. "After what you made me do, they'll be glad to see me gone."

"Then you'll be gone."

--------

"Rhade, did you run into Beka down there?" Dylan stood in front of the giant Rhade-head on the screen in the command deck. "She's been gone for hours and our departure time was hours ago."

"She took off in the Maru as I was leaving. She didn't say where she was going, but I saw her enter Terazed's atmosphere from my slipfighter."

"Damn it," Dylan cursed. "Thanks, Rhade."

"Wish I could've been more help."

--------

Eyes followed him as Rhade strolled through the little dive that he knew Beka frequented when she was on Terazed. He knew she liked places like these because she could always find some kind of side job there. He also knew that he stuck out like a sore thumb.

"I'm looking for this woman," he said as he reached the bartender, holding out a flexi with her picture. "Have you seen her?"

"She was in here earlier. Left with Alex."

Rhade's senses went into overdrive as the name was uttered. "Alex? Is he a regular?"

"Oh, yeah," answered the bartender. "He and his boys are in here all the time."

"His boys… do you know where they went?"

"Alex comes and goes, but I don't know where. He won't even tell me what he does for a living. Just says he's a 'politician,' but their kind stay on the other side of the planet."

"Thanks," Rhade muttered, walking outside and looking around. Had she gone back to him? She was smarter than that, but she was lonely, too, and every moment she was with Alex was an opportunity for her to divulge critical secrets about the Andromeda.

He walked around the bar until his enhanced senses picked up on something. Raising a finger to the wall, he lifted a long blond hair from the brick. She'd been letting it grow and he liked it that way. She still wore it partially pulled back, but some times when it got tousled it would fall around her face in waves. He'd always wanted to touch it.

Bringing his mind back to the present, he assessed the situation. She'd been up against the wall at some point, but in what capacity, he wasn't sure. He could still track her, though. He knew her scent well enough and the trail was pretty warm. He set off and kept a look out for long blond hairs.

--------

Apparently, having a go meant being tossed around like a rag doll while ten or more men took punches and cheap shots. Beka's lip was bleeding, her wrist was broken, small pieces of metal had been jammed between each of her fingernails, and blood was running down the side of her face from somewhere on her head. They'd taken her shoes and were having fun making her walk across jagged rocks.

"Got anything to say yet?"

Beka closed her eyes and swallowed. What could she say? No one knew where she was. No one was coming. She was going to die- she just didn't know how long it would take or how painful it would be. "My pain belongs to the Divine," she whispered. "It is like air, it is like- shit. That doesn't work." She took a deep breath and tried to think about the Maru.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

"Rhade says there were signs of a struggle." Doyle, Trance, Harper, and Dylan sat around the conference table as Rommie gave them the news. "He's tracked her as far as a cave roughly ten meters into the woods behind the bar where she was last seen. Somewhere between there and here, she and her captor… knocked around a bit."

"So what you're saying," Harper replied, "is that there may not have been any struggle at all. I mean, Beka did a whole lot of 'bumping around' with this guy and she was no captive."

"Harper, you're getting all blotchy again." Doyle put a hand to his forehead to check his temperature.

"I told her he was bad news!"

Trance forced a lock of gold hair away from her face. "Beka is a grown woman, Harper. She can make her own decisions."

"Well, she always makes the wrong ones, even when I tell her they're the wrong ones. There's something you guys don't know."

"Tell me now," Rommie demanded.

"I saw Alex taking a vial of something outta med deck. I told her, but she wouldn't believe me."

"She's lonely," Trance explained. "She didn't want to believe you."

"Yeah, well, she should. I care about her and that guy's bad news. She shouldn't be with him."

Dylan put a hand on the engineer's shoulder. "We're gonna find her, Harper."

--------

The noises Rhade heard as he approached the cave were familiar to him, but they gave him a queasiness that twisted in his gut. He'd seen in his lifetime to recognized when joy was being derived by some one's pain- from the sounds of it, some one's extreme pain.

It took him all of five minutes to neutralize the men guarding the entrance. They had less training that a backwoods militia. He was cautious, but quick, moving toward the shouts and laughs he heard from inside.

Beka was kneeling on the ground with her eyes closed. There was a man next to her with a hand on her shoulder to keep her from standing. The bald one stood behind her with a gun to her head. Blood was pouring down her face from somewhere- Rhade couldn't tell, and her hands and feet were so bloody he couldn't tell how they were injured.

The bald man spoke. "Maybe we should kill her now. I don't think she's gonna last."

"Alex wouldn't want that," the man next to her said.

"Where is he, anyway?"

"Figuring out how to contact the Andromeda without getting traced. Then we'll finish it."

"Can't we just kill her and send him her fingers? It's a classic."

Tears streamed down Beka's cheeks, but hadn't opened her eyes, yet. When she finally did, they immediately found Rhade. 'My God,' she thought as he swept forward, 'he's been here the whole time. He's finally going to kill me.' She closed her eyes again and waited.

The men stepped aside as Rhade passed, swinging his blades up and into the flesh of the first two, then dispatching a the rest with his forcelance. When his blades were dripping with blood and skin and a blast had grazed his bicep, he finally stood before her.

Beka had been waiting for days. That's what her brain was telling her. She breathed in and out, trying to find the calm she'd heard people talk about having right before they thought they were going to die. It wasn't there.

When she opened her eyes again, he was standing in front of her, holding his force lance. "Please," she whispered, "not another day. I can't stand another day."

Rhade holstered his lance, knelt down, and gently coaxed her into his arms. She pliable; she probably would've let him do anything, which was a thought that scared him. He spoke into his com to let Dylan know she'd been found, then lifted her from the ground and slowly up from the cave.


	5. Chapter 5

Rhade laid Beka on the cot, resisting the urge to check her pulse for the hundredth time. He'd taken her back to the bar at a sprint and demanded some kind of accommodation. The bartender hadn't argued; he could see the state Beka was in, but all he had to offer was a storage room in back with a cot and some blankets. He'd been concerned enough to bring a basin of water into the room for them and offer to send for a doctor, but Rhade had declined. Trance was the best doctor he knew, and he wanted Beka to wake up to friendly faces.

A movement on the cot startled him. Beka was trying to sit up, her bloody fingers scraping against the rough material.

"Don't do that," Rhade said gently, taking her shoulders and guiding her back down. "Just relax. I'm gonna call Trance, okay?"

"No!" Beka grabbed his hand as he reached for the com. "I don't want to see her."

Rhade sat on the edge of the cot and stroked her hair soothingly. "You're very badly injured. You need medical attention."

"I just need to sleep." Rhade reached for the com again.

"Please, I can't deal with any of them right now."

Rhade took a wet cloth from the basin and began wiping away the blood that had trickled down her face, smoothing her hair back with his other hand. "Your feet are a mess." Beka swatted his hands away and stifled a sob. "What are you doing here, Rhade?'

"Saving your life."

"Why?"

"Because you're my friend."

"No, I'm not," Beka answered. "We both know that."

Rhade couldn't argue with that. They'd never gotten along- not even before they'd crash-landed on Seefra. But even so…. "I care what happens to you," Rhade admitted. "You saw me kill those men, right? I did that for you."

Tears began to fall from Beka's eyes, mingling with the blood on her face. "It's okay," Rhade murmured, whipping them away with his hand. "Sit up." He drew her to him, letting her lean on him as she struggled to sit up, then placed her feet inside the basin, feeling her shiver and holding her more closely. "We'll let your feet soak for a little while, okay?"

Beka buried her face in his shoulder. "I don't think my own brother cares what happens to me. Why should you?"

"I don't know." He started cleaning her hands so he could bandage them. He'd never noticed how tiny they were until he was holding them, trying to wipe away the blood that had crusted onto them.

"You don't know?"

"I don't need a reason, okay?" he snapped, laying her back on the cot so he could bandage her feet. He managed to clean and dress all her wounds before the silence got to him. "Beka?"

Her head was turned and she was staring at the wall.

"You okay?"

"My head is too small for my skull."

Rhade reached down and stroked her hair back, noting the big bruise near her temple and the cut along her hairline. "It's not too serious," he assured her. "Just close your eyes." He continued to stroke her hair, his fingers gently caressing her skin just lightly enough for her to feel it but not hard enough for it to hurt. When she fell asleep, he grabbed the com and called Trance.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

The next time Beka awoke, it was in her own bunk on the Maru. She hadn't opened her eyes yet, but she could sense something bright beyond her eyelids, like a light shining directly onto them. "Trance?"

"I'm here."

"Do you have a dimmer switch? I'm trying to sleep."

"A what?"

"Never mind."

She opened her eyes and looked around. "My ship… I missed it." She smiled. "How come I'm here?"

"I thought you would be more comfortable here. You were talking in your sleep. The familiar setting seemed to help."

"What was I saying?" Beka asked.

"Nothing I could understand. You sounded scared, though."

Beka sighed and closed her eyes again. "Everything's throbbing."

"Does it hurt?" Trance asked.

"Like going off flash."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

There was a tapping noise. Beka slowly turned her head; even that motion was painful. Rhade was standing in the doorway with a flexi in his hand. "How are you feeling?"

"We covered that," Beka answered.

"Could I talk to you?" Rhade asked. He looked at Trance. She understood.

"I need to go inventory the medical supplies. Will you be alright?" she asked Beka.

"Yeah."

"I'll be back in a half hour."

"Take your time."

Trance left the room as Rhade entered, perching on the edge of the bed. "I have to show you something," he said gravely.

"The last guy who said that to me wound up in jail for the night."

"Good to see you're your old self again."

"Yeah," Beka said half-heartedly. She felt like herself; she felt more like herself than she ever had before. It wasn't a coincidence that she was always thrown into high risk situations or that she'd chosen the same deadly profession as her father. She was just as self-destructive as he was. Neither of them had ever really had anything to stick around for. At least, not anymore, now that Trance was three different people and Harper wanted nothing to do with her. What's a captain without a crew?

Rhade handed her the flexi. "We got a transmission shortly after I found you." He touched the screen and Alex popped onto the screen. "Apparently, he thought he still had you."

"What?"

"Just listen."

He touched the screen again and the image spoke. "Captain Hunt, you have something I want and now, I have something you want. I've got your first officer here. She's taking a hell of a beating, though. I don't know how long she'll last. I'll be in touch."

Beka started shaking. "I don't understand. How can he use me as a bargaining chip if he doesn't have me?"

"He probably sent this from a remote location. Andromeda said the signal was jammed, so she couldn't trace it. Chances are he doesn't even know you're gone and he probably won't until he starts missing his men."

"When will that be?"

"Depends how big his army is."

"Army?"

"I asked around. Turns out Alex is the leader of some kind of antigovernment movement. To him, Commonwealth equals communism and that's bad for business."

"What business?" Beka asked.

"He's a smuggler."

"Part of the family," she sighed.

"He's nothing like you," Rhade answered. "He has no conscience."

"Do Nietzscheans believe in a conscience?"

"I can't speak for all of them, but I believe in right and wrong… you're shaking."

Beka clutched her arms to her body. "I'm just… I can't decide if I'm too cold or too hot."

Rhade studied the bruises on her head and neck. Those were just the ones he could see. "How are your hands?"

"More trouble than they're worth. They're killing me."

Rhade pulled the blanket up around her, resting his hand on her shoulder. "You're still shaking."

"I'm okay."

"What did they do to you, Beka?'

"It's not important."

"Yes, it is."

"Why hasn't Harper come to visit me?"

Rhade realized that she'd changed the subject, but he decided to indulge her. "He was really worried about you, but he feels bad about the things he said. I think he's afraid to face you."

"You're lying to me," Beka replied. "He doesn't care about me." Tears began to form, but she took a deep breath and didn't let them fall. She wouldn't cry in front of Rhade again. "We need to find Alex."

"We're working on it."

"When he finds out I'm gone, he'll just come after us again. Who knows what kind of resources he has."

"Beka," he said, stroking her cheek with his hand, "just get better. We'll take care of it."

"It's funny. You're here and Harper's not."

"I saw what they were going to do to you."

"And it mattered?" she asked.

"Not this conversation again."

Beka stared at him, refusing to let him off the hook.

"I realized why you fell for Alex."

"Why?" Beka asked.

"You're alone. You've been that way all your life. No Nietzschean would ever treat his child the way you were treated. Trance left, then Harper, then every man you've ever-"

"Stop it," Beka sobbed, tears flowing freely.

Rhade's eyes widened. "I didn't mean it like that. I was just trying to explain."

"You're right about everything, but I don't need to hear it, okay? Just stop."

Rhade gathered her into his arms and rocked her back and forth like a child, whispering soft words into her hair. "I'll find a way to get him."

"I know a way," Beka said, clutching at his chest as he held her. "I have to go back.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

"So you see why I'm not letting you go." Rhade was sitting in the conference room with the rest of the main crew.

"Not letting me go?" Beka sat slumped in a chair beside Rhade. She'd had to have him practically carry her from her quarters, but she'd threatened to rip his bone blades off and use them as toothpicks if she didn't get to go to the meeting.

"I'm not, either," Dylan replied, "and I'm playing the captain card."

"Look, it's been two days. By now, he must know I'm gone, so I'll let him capture me again, but this time, you guys will be tracking me. Then you come in, guns blazing, and turn his brains into meatloaf."

Harper grimaced. "Like I need another reason to hate meatloaf."

"Sorry."

"It's okay. I'm pretty sure it won't ruin my diet of refined sugars and Sparky Cola. It might get you killed, though."

"You care?" Beka asked.

"Of course I care. I you're one of my best friends. I was just so stressed out before. I'd been awake for days. You know how I get sometimes. I was mad and I said some things… I'm sorry. I love you, boss. You're like family."

"You love me?" Beka asked, the beginnings of a smile on her face.

"This is really touching," Rommie interrupted, "but it doesn't solve our problem. Clearly, we are not going to use Beka as bait. We need to force Alex to surface somehow."

"I agree," said Dylan. "Everyone assumes that this is just a group of thugs, but we know that they're a full-blown militia, terrorists even. They're strategizing and using technology. Until now, they've had the luxury of floating under the radar, but if we make Alex public enemy number one, he'll be forced to take action. That's when he'll be vulnerable."

"There's a flaw in your plan," Rhade replied. "We spread word about this guy, but then we have to wait for him to screw up. What do we do in the meantime? Sit around and whittle figurines?"

"I can go to the bar, see if he shows his face there again," Doyle answered. "He probably won't, but some one will know something."

"I'll keep an eye on all of the air traffic around Terazed," Rommie offered.

"I'll make a voodoo doll out of loose wires and old Sparky cans," said Harper.

"It's settled, then," Dylan said as he stood. "I'll go speak to Tri Lorne. With any luck, he'll have a broadcast on by this afternoon."

--------

"This plan sucks." Walking to her quarters had never taken so long for Beka. She clutched at Rhade with all her strength. To his credit, he had no trouble supporting her weight, but she, on the other hand, was having trouble staying upright. She was slumped almost completely against him as they shuffled down the corridor.

"It's a lot better than yours." He caught her quickly as she stumbled. "I could just carry you, you know."

She stopped and looked up at him. "I can walk. I'm already feeling much better than I was last night."

"Liar."

"I'm not lying."

"You wince every time you take a step. Let me carry you."

"Why? So you can be the big strong Nietzschean who saves the helpless kludge?"

"You're the Matriarch, remember?" he asked.

"I try to forget."

Rhade chuckled and scooped her up, lifting her legs off the ground.

"Hey!"

"You're in no position to argue, so deal with it," he said.

"As the Matriarch, I command you to put me down!" she shouted.

"That won't work."

"Fine, tall, dark and annoying, have it your way, but only because I owe you one."

"You don't owe me anything." They reached her quarters and he gently laid her on the bed.

She kept her arms around his neck. "You saved my life. Of course I owe you."

Rhade smiled and put his arms around her waist. "Next time some one tries to kill me, you can shoot them."

Beka smiled. "From behind a nice big rock."

He smiled, but he couldn't help but notice all the cuts and bruises she had. There was a small bruise on her forehead and a spot on the side of her mouth where her lips met and a cut was healing. He leaned down and lightly kissed each one.

"Rhade…."

"Did I hurt you?"

"No."

He looked up and noticed how close he was to her and drew back. "I should get home. My wife hates it when I'm late for dinner."

"Wouldn't want that," Beka replied, plastering a small smile onto her face.

Rhade turned and left.

------

Rhade had never been more angry with a woman in his life. "Say that again?"

"I want to take another husband." His wife stood in front of him, arms crossed protectively around herself. "You're never here. You promised never to leave me again, but I'm starting to think you married the Commonwealth instead of me."

"You know that's not true."

"I'm not getting any younger. I should have an entire platoon of little soldiers by now, but you've been who knows where and now that you're back, we barely see each other. We only have three children, Rhade. My parents are ashamed of me. If I don't take another husband, I'll be the shame of my pride."

"I love you," Rhade shouted. "What about that?"

"I love you, too, Rhade. It's just not enough, anymore."

TBC


End file.
